Counselor to the Empire
__FORCETOC____NOEDITSECTION__ |old}} |dateestablished= |datesuspended= |datereestablished= |dateabolished= , p. 16 }} |individuals=Karos |government= |organization= |type= title |term=Indefinite |powers= |duties= to the and |era= , p. 7}} }} Counselor to the Empire was a of the that denoted an individual selected to serve as to the reigning and members of the . Such individuals were generally lesser s or members of the priest caste'' , p. 20 who did not serve on the Sith Council but possessed some degree of influence in the Sith Empire. Though possessed of little tangible political or military power of its own, Counselor to the Empire's associated position in the hierarchy of the Empire was considered a prestigious appointment, as its holders enjoyed regular access to the and the ranking members of the . In order to insulate officeholders from external political pressures and guarantee their honest counsel, the Counselor was afforded the personal protection of the ''Jen'ari himself and empowered to speak and advise freely without inhibition or fear of reprisal. Powers and functions Due to being an advisory position and , the post of Counselor to the Empire possessed little formal political and military power of its own in the Sith political establishment. The tangible power the office wielded came in the form of influence, as its officeholders enjoyed regular access to the presiding and the ranking members of the and were commonly consulted on important matters of state. The suggestions of particularly silver-tongued Counselors could often sway debate on matters of policy affecting the entire Empire, permitting their influence to be felt at the highest levels of government. To ensure their honest counsel and insulate officeholders from political pressures, the Counselor to the Empire was formally afforded the personal protection of the Jen'ari and empowered to counsel freely without inhibition or fear of reprisal. Protection was traditionally overseen by Shikkari of the Châtsûshnwûlkut Tsisottoi Shikkarûjontû, elite s answering directly to the Jen'ari , p. 162 who ensured the Counselor was not targeted by rivals or disgruntled Sith Councilors. Dedicated warriors provided more tangible security at formal events and functions, forming an elite bodyguard unit drawn from veterans of the many internal conflicts that characterized the Sith Empire's period of rule. The Counselor to the Empire occasionally served ceremonial functions when required. In addition to appearing alongside the Jen'ari and Sith Council at various state dinners and formal events, the Counselor attended each Jen'ari's funeral procession in the on , p. 159 and generally participated in the interment ceremony alongside the Sith Councilors. Counselors often displayed s belonging to the presiding Jen'ari at formal functions, symbolic indications that the Counselor's authority and influence was ultimately derived from the Dark Lord. The last Counselor to the Empire, Karos, notably carried at formal functions, an example of such a tradition in practice. History Origins The , an august body formed of the ten most influential s of the old , nominally served as an advisory body answering directly to the presiding of " ." However, as its members were often possessed of great personal ambition and deeply invested in feuds and rivalries with other Councilors, their respective counsel was often colored by their own selfish self-interest and desire to aggrandize themselves at the expense of their fellows. As Councilors generally ruled a dozen worlds each as direct vassals of the Dark Lord, many were known to advise courses of action that would either enrich their respective fiefs or directly harm those of a rival. Officeholders As a result of such poorly disguised scheming, those Jen'ari who sought genuine advice and counsel were often loath to trust the words of the Sith Council at face value. The Counselor to the Empire position was thus created in response to the Council's general untrustworthy nature as a position occupied by trustworthy individuals without political aim or overwhelming ambition. Appointed by the Jen'ari and confirmed the Sith Council, the Counselor to the Empire served as an unbiased voice of reason charged with providing the Dark Lord and the Councilors with unexpurgated counsel and honest advice as requested. To insulate the officeholder from political pressures, the Counselor was afforded the personal protection of the Jen'ari himself and permitted to speak freely without inhibition or fear of reprisal. Though various lesser Sith Lords of middling influence were appointed to serve Counselors, many notable officeholders were members of the Kissai, a lower caste of Sith-blooded priests who served the anointed Sith Lords of the Empire as assistants specializing in , , and . Such individuals were generally possessed of little personal ambition due to the selective breeding of the Kissai for selfless loyalty and were too lowly ranked in the Sith hierarchy to be active players in the power games of the Sith establishment. As such, many Jen'ari trusted the unbiased counsel such Kissai afforded over that offered by the self-interested members of the Sith Council. Notes and references External links *